1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fish feeding devices and assemblies for dispensing selected measured quantities of granular feed which drops onto the surface of a fish pond, and which is actuated by water power.
More particularly, the invention is directed to a fish feeder assemblage including a feed bin having its discharge aperture engaging with a metering rotor with two sets of grooves so that oscillating or rotation of the metering rotor about an arc of 90.degree. dispenses fish feed that drops into a pond. The metering rotor is turned by at least one container supported from a scoop or container mounting assembly on a shaft common to the shaft of the metering rotor, the container being filled with water until the container, which has a stable state off-center of the common shaft when the container is empty and when in the dump or emptying state, and passing through the center of gravity on reaching the emptying condition. Also mounted on the container mounting assembly is a stop pin mounted off-center of the shaft and is displaced by movement of the container between its two states and its arcuate displacement is controlled by positions of adjustable stops mounted on a frame assembly supporting the feed bin. Setscrews are provided in the container mounting assembly for stabilizing the shaft and its metering rotor in either of a first or second position according to which pair of grooves are desired to be used in selecting rates of metering due to the different sizes of the sets of grooves. At the ends of the metering rotor are neoprene O-ring elements for restraining feed flow from ends of the opening at the bottom of the feed bin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art disclosures relate to fish feeders and of interest to the present invention are the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,831 to S. Smolin;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,966,885 to R. B. Bentley;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,588 to E. M. Moore;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,744 to E. S. Kaplan;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,142 to J. W. Kahrs et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,340 to R. H. Lemond et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,452 to E. M. Keen et al;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,929 to R. W. Millnitz;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,299 to B. Suchowski;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,089 to D. J. Moran.
The patent to Millnitz discloses a rotatable mounted container driven by a paddle wheel sunk into a fish tank and in which air is supplied for driving the paddle wheel in rotary motion. The patent to Moore discloses a fish feeder arrangement for dispensing measured quantities of feed into a fish pond by using air to entrain the feed and discharge it over a large area of the pond. The other patents disclose feed systems of related interest. None of these patents discloses all of the specific details of the present invention in such a way as to bear upon the patentability of any claims of the present invention.